Real estate professionals around Alameda County raised over $6,000 for the Alameda County Food Bank through a virtual food drive last month.

Members of the Alameda Inforum and Marketing Meeting, Real Estate Alliance of Livermore, Valley Real Estate Network, Central County Marketing Group, and Tri-Cities Marketing Group were the main fundraisers for the food drive.

“Virtual food drives are a fun and convenient way to raise money for the food bank,” said June Burckhardt, a Realtor and board member of Bay East Association of Realtors, in a statement. “They save folks a trip to the store and, because of food banks' purchasing power and efficient distribution, a virtual food drive provides more food than a traditional food drive, maximizing the amount of food a dollar can provide.”

Participating Realtors reached out to other real estate professionals, clients and family members for donations. Burckhardt explained how since COVID-19 families have been struggling.

“This was an amazing collaborative effort with the marketing groups,” said Burckhardt. “We have seen and heard about difficulties families are facing due to COVID-19. The need that families have for food is far greater now than ever.”

According to Bay East representatives, each Realtor marketing group met and exceeded their fundraising goal of $4,900. Since every dollar raised is worth $7 in food, by the end of the fundraiser, the more than $6,000 raised provides almost $50,000 in food.

The food purchased was desperately needed items, primarily perishables, including cheeses, milk, dairy and meats.

“This is the largest response that the food bank has gotten from the real estate community in Alameda County in the eight years I’ve worked with the food bank,” said Katherine Avila, the Food and Fund Drive Coordinator for Alameda County Community Food Bank, in a statement. “It will take all of us to step up to help, and that’s exactly what this food drive has done.”